Their first meeting is tainted by the suspicion of scandal. There always will be questions about whether Antonio Margarito’s fists were on the up-and-up when he beat Miguel Cotto July 2008 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Those unresolved questions are the foundation for their pay-per-view rematch set for Dec. 3 at Madison Square Garden. It’s one man’s chance for revenge against another man’s quest for redemption.

Margarito won Cotto’s WBA welterweight title that night by stopping the unbeaten Puerto Rican champion in the 11th round of a brutal brawl.

Cotto, 32-0 at that point, had gotten the best of things early, using his hand speed and boxing skills to control the fight. But Margarito’s power began to take its toll in the later rounds. As Margarito consistently landed blows, Cotto’s face turned into a bloody mess. He dropped to a knee in the 11th as a sign of surrender.

It was the biggest victory of Margarito’s career and set up a mega-fight against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles that January. But moments prior to the bout, Margarito, of Tijuana, was caught with an illegal substance in his hand wraps. The California Athletic Commission compared it to a “plaster-like substance” and suspended him for a year.

Margarito has continued to deny knowing his wraps were loaded. But the logical question is, were his gloves were loaded against Cotto?

“They have a heated rivalry and they want to settle the score,” said Mark Taffet, HBO’s pay-per-view boss.

Cotto, who will be 31 on fight night, has since won the WBA junior middleweight title he’ll defend against Margarito, 33, at a maximum weight of 153 pounds. Tickets are on sale at the usual outlets.

Each has endured a beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. A bloody and battered Cotto was stopped in the 12th round against the Filipino in November 2009, while Margarito wound up having surgery after losing a 12-round decision to Pacquiao last November at Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao fractured Margarito’s orbital bone, which required surgery to repair.

Getting a license to fight in Texas helped ease the process of Margarito getting a license to fight in New York.

“We’re giving him the same opportunity that we give any other boxer who comes to this state to fight,” said Melvina Lathan, chairperson of the New York State Athletic Commission.

HBO will develop a 24/7 series about the bout, and the build-up should be intense. Many of Cotto’s fans haven’t forgiven Margarito for the first fight, and figure to pack the Garden in December.

“I’m going to give all my body and soul to make sure this is a great event for boxing fans all over the world,” Cotto said. “It’s going to be the same as last time, but the ending is going to be different.”

Promoter Bob Arum suggested both boxers surrender their hand wraps the night before the bout and put them in the custody of the New York State Athletic Commission until time just before the bout. Lathan said she’d consider the idea.

“I’m very comfortable with the officials we have and the way we do things,” she said. “Our people are very well trained and highly skilled. They’re the best in the country.”

It will be the first boxing event in the big arena since completion of phases one of the Garden renovation.

Filipino sensation Nonito Donaire will make his New York City debut Oct. 22 defending his bantamweight title against Omar Narvaez in the Theater.